Flames sign Bourque ($3.3 million X six years)

The Flames have signed Rene Bourque to an extension.

On the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent, the rambunctious left-winger is playing out a contract that pays him a salary of $1.4 million US.

Starting next year, Bourque, 28, will pull down $3.3 million US. The term is six seasons.

 

Phaneuf responds to trade talk

He might live a Hollywood lifestyle but Dion Phaneuf says he's happy in Calgary.

And at Friday's morning skate, he dismissed any rumours floating around that he'd demanded a trade.

"I've never asked for a trade and I'm very happy here," said the 24-year-old defenceman after several reports surfaced online. "That hasn't even crossed my mind. For you to be asking these questions today, it's a huge surprise but I understand you have to report on it."

Phaneuf, who is dating Calgary-born actress Elisha Cuthbert, has been linked with a trade since he was reportedly overheard having a heated discussion with head coach Brent Sutter last month.

But Flames general manager Darryl Sutter on Thursday shot down the rumours surrounding his young defenceman.

"Whoever makes up that stuff is not doing anything," Sutter told the Herald. "We've worked really hard at building a top young defence in the league and our intention is to keep them, so that's (rumours) just from somebody who didn't have anything to do on that day.

"There are no rumours, believe me," reiterated the GM. "I don't know where that comes from."

On Friday, Phaneuf claimed he hadn't heard the rumours about a trade or him submitting a trade request.

"To be honest with you, I haven't heard anything about it until today when you brought it up to me," said Phaneuf. "Those are people sitting behind a computer and writing what they'd like to see happen with our team.

"Each and everyone has their opinion and I respect that but with regards to any talk of that, that's the first I've heard of it and I'm not going to say much about that."

Early this morning, the Flames called up Jamie Lundmark from Abbotsford to fill in for injured Craig Conroy, whom the team could re-activate on Monday according to Brent Sutter. Lundmark replaced Jason Jaffray, who was sent back to the Heat on Thursday.

Lundmark, if you recall, had joined the squad for six dates in November to take injured Rene Bourque's place. Making tonight's game, oh, about the umpteenth time he's been back.

"I don't know how many times it's been up and down but I'm definitely used to it," said Lundmark, a veteran of over 250 NHL games, 84 of which have been with Calgary. "The biggest thing is not to get away from my game, play simple. Come up here, play hard, use my skill when I can, and try and put some points on the board when I can."

Not that he's been having difficulty with point production. The Edmonton native is second in scoring with the Abbotsford Heat with nine goals, 12 assists in 32 games.

During his last stint, Lundmark was put on the top line with Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen. In a short time, he made a good impression and picked up three points (including a game winner at Detroit and a shoot-out winner at Columbus) in six games.

Looks like he'll take Curtis Glencross' spot on left-wing with Iginla and Daymond Langkow tonight. And with that, here are the rest of the Flames lines:

Lundmark-Langkow-Iginla

Glencross-Jokinen-Bourque

Dawes-Nystrom-Moss

Sjostrom-Boyd-Prust

And the defence:

Regehr-Phaneuf

Giorodano-Bouwmeester

Pardy-Sarich

Also, Curtis McElhinney will get the start tonight, likely to give Miikka Kiprusoff a night off to prepare for Saturday's game in Vancouver against their Northwest Division rivals, the Canucks.

– Morning skate report by Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald

Canadian juniors advance to gold-medal game

Defenceman Marco Scandella and his teammates made sure that Canada advanced to its ninth consecutive world junior tournament final with a 6-1 victory against a determined Switzerland team at Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre on Sunday, setting up a date with the United States in the gold medal game.

No Conroy, Phaneuf for skills competition

First things first.

Dion Phaneuf and Craig Conroy didn’t participate in the skills competition. Both are banged-up (but both were on the premises). Cory Sarich, for what it’s worth, did take part Sunday afternoon.

No official word on any of the injured chaps.

Now, here’s how the skills contest went.

==

FASTEST SKATER

* Freddie Sjostrom — 13.589

* Mark Giordano — 13.958

* Nigel Dawes — 14.043

Note: Curtis Glencross, a two-time winner in this event (last year with the Flames, the season before with the Oilers), took a pass, citing a slight injury.

==

SHOOTING ACCURACY

* Staffan Kronwall — five pucks (to hit four targets)

* Jarome Iginla — six pucks

* Nigel Dawes — six pucks

===

HARDEST SHOT

* Jarome Iginla — 102.3 mph

* Curtis Glencross — 100.1 mph

* Robyn Regehr — 98.1 mph

===

BREAKAWAY RELAY (on Curtis McElhinney)

* Robyn Regehr — 2 for 2

* Nigel Dawes — 2 for 2

* Jay Bouwmeester — 2 for 2

===

The Flames, quite possibly with reinforcements, leave Monday morning for Nashville.

 

Obama to Back New Heavy Rocket, Bigger NASA Budget, Cancel Ares 1 [Nasa]

Sad news, space cowboys: According to NASA insiders, Ares 1 will be no more. Good news, space cowboys! According to the same sources, Señor Presidente Obama has decided that it’s worth to invest in space. The man got a plan:

Reporting on a White House and NASA meeting last Wednesday, sources say that the President has decided to give NASA an additional $1 billion in 2011. The extra funding will serve to create a new, simpler heavy lift rocket, as well as to increase the fleet of satellites controlling Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere.

The objective is to have the heavy rocket ready for a 2018 launch, while Europe, Japan, and Canada would develop a lunar lander and moon base modules with their own billions. While this may make some NASA fans sad—after the US single-handely arrived to the Moon—I'm convinced that the collaboration with other countries is the only way to move forward in manned space exploration.

I mean, the Klingons will be here any minute, people! Let’s get on with the program. And where the fuck is Kirk? [Science Magazine]


Wal-Mart wins at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that Wal-Mart Canada Corp. was within its rights when it shut down a store in Jonquière, Que., that had been unionized seven months earlier.

‘Definitely his best game’ — Sutter on Iginla

Plus-three with three points.

It appears that Flames captain Jarome Iginla is in the process of snapping out of his early-season doldrums.

His boss certainly thinks so.

"He’s an effective player when he’s skating and when he’s shooting," said coach Brent Sutter. "He’s getting into those areas and tonight he got into those areas to get quality shots."

Iginla’s goal — his 412th, if you’re keeping track — was vintage.

Buzzing down the right wing, scorching a shot past a helpless netminder.

"That goal, it’s a two-on-one, he goes hard down the wing and makes a great shot," said Sutter. "He did a lot of little things tonight that were very effective. You guys get caught up in goals, goals, goals, but to me, it’s playing a well-rounded game and it’s scoring chances. Tonight was probably the most scoring chances Jarome’s had in a game. He shot the puck and he got into those areas to want the puck and he was involved in the game.

"I look at shots and quality scoring chances he had, and it was definitely his best game."

While he was at it, Sutter chucked around a little more praise.

* To Craig Conroy, for helping kill off the five-on-three (late in the second, early in the third).

"Big draw right off the bat and then there was a battle just inside the zone," said Sutter. "Connie did a great job of getting pucks out of the zone. It was a big kill. A one-goal game at the time, 4-3. I certainly wasn’t happy with the penalties. But the P.K. did a good job at that point in time."

* To Dion Phaneuf, for scoring (and for helping wake up a team in danger of nodding off after 21-plus minutes of shotlessness).

"He got his feet moving," said Sutter. "At the time, when he was coming out of the zone, I thought he was going to head-man the puck because he had a couple guys ahead of him, but he kept going with a full head of speed. It backed their defencemen off. He was able to get a really good scoring opportunity, quality scoring chance between the top of the circle and the blue line. And when Dion has a full head of steam like that with his shot, it gives you an opportunity to score on something like that."